


Light in the Dark

by Citron0



Series: Just Me Writing About Cole Again [1]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, If You Squint - Freeform, Not the focus but it's there - Freeform, cole still has the scar, low-key glaciershipping, ninjago season 10 spoilers, residual ghost energy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 18:00:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19300903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Citron0/pseuds/Citron0
Summary: Rewrite of Cole's Fall + him just thinkin'.Slight AU: Cole still has his scar, Lava punch worksslightlydifferently, and Cole doesn't have sleeves on his gi.





	Light in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> ((I'll be real with you, Cole doesn't have sleeves because I legit forgot he had them on his season 10 gi.))

 

 

> Jay’s scream was the last thing I registered before entering what felt and looked like the void, “ **COLE**!”

The rope's snapping barely registered in my ears; I felt like my heart stopped - and I was underwater. The wind felt stale as it blew through my hair; the weightlessness reminded me of a sensation I wanted so dearly to forget. The concept of that alone had been enough to give me nightmares long after I had left the Rift. I clung to the little sensations, like the salt in the breeze and the harsh chill to remind me I wasn’t in Stiix, Yang’s temple, or the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master.

I knew I had to minimize the damage somehow. The lava spread up my arms burning bits of my epidermis - _according to Zane_ \- mere moments before impact I wasn’t sure if I was going to survive. I clenched my eyes shut and hoped for the best as my hands made contact with the concrete of the skyscraper.

The building I fell in wasn’t left unscathed; in fact, there was a huge crater as if I had been a meteor instead of a ninja. I left a ring of broken glass in my wake.

“Ah, _ah_ , **_ow_**!”

I couldn’t see a thing in the darkness; the only light seemed to be coming from my scar which always seemed to flare up whenever I take a hard hit.

"Where the heck am I?"

The dark tentacles from before traced the hole I came in from, "Oh boy, oh boy." The entrance was soon blocked completely by those _things_.

"Hey, guys? Did you forget something (again)?"

I called out into the darkness in vain, "It's me, Cole."

 

> " _Hello_?"

My arms trembled for a second or five; had my arms ever felt this sore before? It was hard to complain when you’re still alive.

I was _alive_ , right? My hand instinctively rose to my scar; it’s always super dry in that one spot, devoid of any moisture.

“Stay calm, stay calm. Don't panic; why panic?” I told myself, I had a habit of talking to myself when I thought I was alone.

My heart ached, “They didn’t even try to come get me.” This reminded me too much of what happened over a year ago during the Day of the Departed.

My chest wasn’t rising as I took in more air. Just like when I was.

“Don’t say it and don’t think it, Cole! Of course, you’re alive - you have to be!” A hysterical laugh bubbled out of me, I ran my hand through my mop of hair. This wasn’t the first time I had to snap myself out of that line of reasoning.

I limped to a shard of broken glass on the floor. The eerie emerald light wasn’t exclusive to my scar, part of it was leaking into my eye.

An idea hit me like a ton of bricks: “What if whatever was leftover from my time as a ghost is protecting me?” I rubbed my arms. The tundra-level chill threatened to give me frostbite; I regretted not wearing sleeves. Of course, my lava arms would have burnt the sleeves to a crisp the instant I activated them, so maybe it didn’t matter in the long run.

I tapped my chin, something about all this didn’t make sense, “Didn’t everyone else who entered or was trapped in the mist turned to stone? How was I still living; weren’t Oni the ones who could venture inside?” I willed the lava to coat my arms and hands again; I had to stay warm. The yellow-orange light was a welcomed addition too.

“Unless, I am _not_ living,” I postulated aloud, my voice carried a bit of its ghostly echo.

“Not entirely.” I gazed into my reflection. My left eye shone much brighter than it ever did while I actually was a ghost.

“Well, I don’t want to stick around this place to see what happens when I run out of juice.” The echo was more pronounced than before. That was worrisome, but not _as_ worrisome as being turned to _stone_!

“I can make it out of here.” Staying positive should distract me from the whole _potentially becoming a ghost again_ thing _._

“Gah, I shouldn’t have thought that!”

“Come on, Cole, focus! You are the elemental master of earth, you can get through this.”

“I just have to avoid those **creepy** tendrils and find my vehicle.” Maybe I shouldn’t have been saying all that out loud. That sounded like a sure-fire way to attract unwanted attention.

On cue, one of them started to make its way toward me. I gulped while not inhaling any actual air.

“Higher ground, I need higher ground!” With my elemental power, I lifted myself off the ground with the aid of a disembodied slab of concrete and asphalt.

While my head was above the charcoal clouds, dread accompanied the butterflies gallivanting around in my stomach, “Oh, I can’t see a thing up here. I’ll have to go back in.” Notably, the echo had yet to fade despite being above the haze. Maybe it took a second to deactivate? I knew I was kidding myself, but I had to if I was ever going to get out of this.

* * *

I lowered myself back down and spotted my earpiece broken on the ground.

“Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no!” I searched the building for anything that could remotely assist me in repairing the severed wires. I found a pair of scissors that I could use as a makeshift screwdriver lying around in a drawer. What use could that have at a News studio?

Never mind that, no need to punch the gift horse in the mouth - was that the proverb; gosh, how long has it been since I’ve attended school? At least four years now? I wasn’t too sure, time seriously blurred while I was ghost for that impossibly long year*. The dryness found itself under my hands once more.

There was a click as _something_ was realigned.

“There.” I fixed it to the best of my abilities. I pressed the button on my earpiece rapidly multiple times all the while muttering ‘please work’ on a loop. I didn't have to fix every function - just the homing one - and that was sort of doable.

Eventually, the red LED flashed green. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. That meant the homing signal was getting through. I had never wanted to leave a place more. The emerald glow had diminished some, I hoped that was because I had stopped panicking but it could have easily meant I was running out of - what did Zane call it - _ectoplasm_. Deep down I knew I wasn’t going to run out any time soon; just a gut feeling or was it wishful thinking?

* * *

Outside of the building, I knew I didn’t have long until I crossed paths with an Oni or a bunch of Oni. I jogged to my driller, my scar glistening like a lantern. Adrenaline mixed with year-old ectoplasm (and maybe lava) coursed through my veins with vigor as I felt the shift in air pressure on my skin. I felt like I weighed a thousand pounds; luckily, I had super strength to back me up

Once inside, I let the lava fade so I could turn the wheel without accidentally breaking it off. The sound of the ignition became the most soothing sound I had ever heard; despite it just being a bunch of low rumbles.

I kissed the back of the seat, “Oh, how I missed you!”

I leaned back and set the coordinates for the monastery - always best to start there first.

“ETA: about twenty minutes.” My vehicle’s AI stated.

Wow, was it nice to hear another voice. Even if it was just an AI. Beggars can’t be choosers; but if I could choose, I’d chose Zane or PIXAL in a heartbeat.

I let myself enter a trance-like state. Turn left, take a U-turn, turn right, etc.

I barrelled through hoards of Oni en route, how could Lloyd be related to these _creatures_ ? It didn’t sit right with me; Lloyd didn’t resemble the Oni at all or any of the dragons. He shared zero traits with Firstborne, of whom I am 90% sure is his great-grandma. Wasn’t he supposed to be like an eighth Oni and one-eighth dragon? Was the First Spinjitzu Master even human; I think he was just Oni and Dragon - but he looked _human_? Glossing over the fact that Oni are _literal **demons**_! Lloyd’s genealogy was so confusing, but who am I to talk?

It took me a second to realize the occasional jostling I felt was because I was drilling almost vertically up the mountain. Probably shouldn’t have let myself space out. I adjusted my trajectory slightly.

* * *

Above ground, I noticed that the ninja (and _Garmadon_ ) looked like they were being overwhelmed. Whatever I was feeling right then was irrelevant; they needed me!

I hopped out ready to join the fray.

“Hey, guys! Couldn't wait for me, huh?” Thankfully, the echo was absent; I didn’t want to try to explain something I really couldn’t.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.


End file.
